49ers’ Ahkello Witherspoon growing into his role

SANTA CLARA, CA - AUGUST 19: Ahkello Witherspoon #41 of the San Francisco 49ers stands on the sidelines during their game against the Denver Broncos at Levi's Stadium on August 19, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Photo: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images

Don’t believe the 49ers’ 2018 media guide, which still lists Ahkello Witherspoon at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds: The young cornerback has grown significantly over the past year.

This week, defensive coordinator Robert Saleh smiled as he discussed the maturation of Witherspoon, who took a finesse approach to tackling in college, was memorably bulldozed at the goal line by running back Carlos Hyde in his first training camp and left his NFL debut in October after six defensive snaps because of a concussion.

“When he got here, he was this little, scrawny corner that everyone said wouldn’t hit anybody,” Saleh said. “He’s turned into a man. If you look at him, he has great presence out on the football field. He’s a grown man. He’ll hit people.”

Given his college reputation for passivity, Witherspoon’s physicality in the NFL is not an insignificant development. However, the 49ers are most excited about their 2017 third-round pick because he’s already shown he can cover people in a way that suggests stardom.

This offseason, Witherspoon’s skills won over Pro Bowl cornerback Richard Sherman, who became a fan shortly after he signed with the 49ers in March.

In June, Sherman, who has long been hailed for his football acumen, hosted the Rams’ Aqib Talib, the Vikings’ Xavier Rhodes and the Lions’ Darius Slay for a “Cornerback Summit” at Stanford. The other invitee was Witherspoon, 23, who was four years younger than any of the other attendees and was the only one without a Pro Bowl on his resume.

Witherspoon said it was gratifying to quickly show he belonged.

“One of the coolest things was kind of coming in and trying to find where I was going to get my respect,” Witherspoon said, “and within five minutes of doing drills people saw my footwork and Xavier Rhodes was talking about ‘I’m calling our GM so we can get a trade.’ Stuff like that. Getting the respect from my peers was big.”

The support from Sherman has boosted his confidence, but Witherspoon began to develop last year after the 49ers showed their confidence in him. At midseason, they traded starting cornerback Rashard Robinson to the Jets and gave Witherspoon his job.

For Witherspoon, it was a turning point in a season that initially didn’t look promising: He was inactive for the first four games before collecting two interceptions and seven pass breakups in his nine season-ending starts.

“We knew we drafted a big corner,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said, “and I swear he looked twice as big halfway through the year out there. He started getting his confidence.”

Said Saleh: “Confidence comes with belief. He has great confidence because he’s gone out and he’s done it and he’s had success. He’s completely morphed into this grown man that’s got great confidence. He’s in a great spot right now mentally and I’m excited to see where he goes.”

About that confidence: Witherspoon, who has the same dimensions as Sherman (6-3, 195), could be developing swagger to match his All-Pro teammate.

In January 2014, after the NFC Championship Game, Sherman declared he was the “best corner in the game” during his rant against 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree. On Friday, there were echoes of Sherman as Witherspoon explained how his confidence has been vital to his growth.

“I would say just that mental dominance: Every rep I feel like I’m the best corner on the planet,” Witherspoon said. “I think that’s what allows you take that next step is believing.”

Last year, there were those who wondered if Witherspoon has the mettle needed in the NFL. At Colorado, there were numerous instances of him shying away from contact. Niners general manager John Lynch, a former punishing NFL safety, conceded that Witherspoon’s tackling had been a concern that was addressed during his pre-draft visit in Santa Clara.

“We didn’t hide from it,” Lynch said last year. “I said this and showed him the film: ‘That bothers me, help me out here.’ And he was aware that it does need to improve and committed to making it improve.”

On Friday, Witherspoon was asked about entering the NFL with a reputation for being soft. Was it embarrassing?

“No, I never let that get to me. Not one time,” he said. “The good things you guys (media) say. The bad things you guys say. To me, in my head, they are really all the same: They are just noise.”

Witherspoon appears poised to make more noise this season. Shanahan said he’s been “possessed on honing his craft” this offseason, and his teammates have also noticed he seems bigger than his listed media-guide dimensions.

“I think,” said wide receiver Marquise Goodwin, “that he grew an inch from last year.”

Eric Branch has worked at the San Francisco Chronicle since 2011 as the 49ers beat writer. Before that, he covered the 49ers for the Santa Rosa Press Democrat in 2010. Since he began his career in journalism in 1997 in Logansport, Ind., he’s covered events ranging from archery tournaments to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.